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Though mysterious ruins and artifacts continue to captivate our imaginations, they offer only limited insight into the past. Written inscriptions and etched images, however, serve as quicker keys to understanding history.
Carvings in stone, often referred to as 'stone pages,' can offer invaluable glimpses into ancient laws, revolutions, wars, and even personal stories of first encounters between distant lands. Some inscriptions even preserve environmental records that have withstood millennia. On occasion, archaeologists unearth inscriptions unlike any they've encountered before.
10. Philip's Pillar
Central Bulgaria once housed numerous Roman forts, including the Sostra Fortress, which has been under excavation since 2002 by the National Museum of History. In 2016, the same team unearthed a Roman road station nearby and discovered a significant artifact.
Previously overlooked, the 2.2-meter-tall (7.2 ft) artifact turned out to be a roadside pillar dating back to AD 244. The pillar is engraved with nineteen lines, honoring Roman Emperor Philip the Arab and his son, Philip the Younger. The inscription also mentions the provincial governor Prastina Mesalinus.
The emperor, who ruled from AD 244–249, traveled across the Balkans during his first year of rule and may have passed through the Sostra Fortress, which could explain the creation of this monumental inscription. Near the end of the pillar’s text, a Roman mile marker is mentioned, indicating the distance to another road station discovered two years earlier.
9. The Comox Valley Pebbles
The path to an extraordinary discovery began with a barbecue. In 2015, the K’omoks First Nation gathered in Comox Valley. During the digging of a roasting pit, they uncovered ancient shells, realizing that these shells pointed to a historically significant site.
Archaeologists soon arrived and confirmed that the site contained far more than just shells. A year later, archaeology students uncovered something that left even their more experienced mentors perplexed.
Over 80 enigmatic flat stones and tablets were discovered among the bones, tools, and other artifacts of a long-lost village. Each stone was inscribed with symbols on one side. While their exact meaning remains uncertain, many of the symbols appear to resemble feathers, trees, or fertility marks.
Deciphering their true meaning will be a challenge. These 2,000-year-old pebbles are a unique find, and some of the patterns remain unclear.
8. Mikvah Mystery
When a location in Jerusalem was slated to be turned into a nursery, antiquities officials stepped in to ensure that construction wouldn't disturb any potential archaeological discoveries. Typically, once the area is cleared by officials, construction can proceed.
However, archaeologists halted construction immediately. The site, located in the Arnona district, was revealed to be a mikvah (ancient Jewish ritual bath).
Surprisingly, the walls of the room were adorned with symbols and inscriptions written in Aramaic—words that remain undeciphered by experts. The imagery includes palm trees, a boat, and most likely a menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum). The symbols and Hebrew writing, etched in plaster and mud, date back around 2,000 years.
It remains uncertain whether these markings had religious significance or were simply the work of a graffiti artist. Regardless, this discovery is considered one of the most significant of its kind. It's rare to find so many symbols and inscriptions from the Second Temple period in a single location.
7. Rental Agreement
Excavations at Teos uncovered almost 400 ancient inscriptions. Among the most fascinating were those found on a stela from the Dionysus temple in the Turkish city, which date back to antiquity.
When decoded, it revealed to be the most detailed rental agreement ever discovered in Anatolia. This 2,200-year-old contract outlines how a group of young men inherited land from a donor.
Known as Neos (young gymnasium students between the ages of 20–30), they leased out the property. The names of those who rented the land, along with witnesses, were carved into the 1.5-meter-tall (5 ft) stela.
The Neos were strict landlords. Almost half of the stela describes punishments for tenants who avoided paying rent, misused the land, or damaged the buildings. The stela also outlines the gymnasium's layout, a reference to a holy altar, and the Neos’ desire to use the land for three days annually.
The most remarkable aspect of this discovery is the identification of two previously unknown legal terms. This artifact is the only one of its kind from the ancient world, offering researchers insight into the laws and social structures of Hellenistic times.
6. The Phanagoria Stela
Founded in the sixth century BC, Phanagoria was a Greek colony that later became the first capital of Great Bulgaria. It was one of the largest Greek cities and served as the cultural and economic hub of the Black Sea region. Today, the ruins of Phanagoria lie in the Krasnodar region of Russia.
In 2016, archaeologists unearthed a broken stela (shown in the image above) among a collection of intriguing discoveries. The stela was unique in its foreign characteristics, being carved from marble—a material not native to the area. However, its age and inscriptions indicate its original origin.
Created in the first half of the fifth century BC, the ancient Persian script celebrates a king's victory. The king identified is Darius I (550–486 BC). A previously unidentified word also marks the city of Miletus, a key figure in the Greek resistance against Persia.
Darius I put an end to that rebellion in 494 BC, and archaeologists believe the stela was erected in Miletus. Eventually, it made its way to Phanagoria, possibly as ballast for a ship. This discovery provides new connections between Phanagoria and the ancient Greek world during one of history's most pivotal uprisings.
5. The Safaitic Rock Scripts
Jordan's Black Desert used to be vibrantly different. If the newly discovered petroglyphs are accurate, it was once lush, teeming with wildlife and human settlements. Now, however, the desert environment cannot support life, and water is scarce.
Recently, thousands of rock carvings, including intricate drawings and short inscriptions, have been uncovered in the Jebel Qurma region. These markings offer a glimpse into the lives and perspectives of those who lived there 2,000 years ago.
The inhabitants of the region used an ancient alphabetic script known as Safaitic to inscribe on rocks. Some left their names, while others expressed concerns about loved ones or hunger. One inscription, “I am on the lookout for the Nabataeans,” even suggests a conflict between the Jebel Qurma people and the creators of the famed city of Petra.
The petroglyphs depict various animals, including horses, antelopes, lions, and birds, possibly ostriches. Charcoal remnants found at camp sites indicate the presence of abundant water. The people also used wood from tree species that require year-round water to thrive.
4. Lovers’ Island
The Greek island of Astypalaia once served as a private retreat for lovers. The marks left behind suggest that these trysts were predominantly between men. Dating back 2,500 years, the traces were carefully etched into the island’s dolomite limestone, revealing names and images.
While phallic imagery appears frequently throughout the ancient world, this artwork is distinct because the artists depicted the sexual act itself with remarkable directness. The graffiti, which dates from the 5th to 6th centuries BC, demonstrates an extraordinary, if not surprising, level of literacy.
One individual, in reference to his lover Timiona, expertly carved a statement about their bond in large, clear letters. The writer's skill in inscription is evident, suggesting that ordinary people on the island were well trained in the craft during the Archaic and Classical periods of Greece, not just philosophers and scholars.
3. The Zhuangqiao Relics
China is undoubtedly one of the world’s oldest civilizations. In 2003, the discovery of inscribed fragments rewrote history, pushing the country’s most ancient written language back by an astonishing 1,400 years.
The Neolithic shards discovered at the Zhuangqiao site in Shanghai include a variety of materials such as stone, pottery, wood, jade, bone, and ivory. These 200 fragments, which are approximately 5,000 years old, place the inscriptions as contemporaries of the earliest known writing from Mesopotamia, although the two writing systems developed independently.
The inscriptions bear a striking resemblance to modern Chinese characters. Each one consists of two to five lines that form a character. What captivates scholars is the way they are connected, almost like a short sentence, which could suggest they represent words rather than mere symbols.
There remains significant debate among researchers about whether these markings represent words, hieroglyphs, symbols, or something even more rudimentary. Regardless of their true nature, these ancient inscriptions will undoubtedly provide deeper insights into the origins of the Chinese language.
2. The Mona Merge
Christopher Columbus documented his visit to the Caribbean island of Mona during his second voyage in 1494. The impact on the native people would mirror the devastation faced by other regions when Europeans arrived.
However, ancient carvings reveal a different perspective on the arrival of Europeans. Mona is known for its vast and deep cave networks, and like many other cultures, the island’s inhabitants used the cave walls as a canvas for their art.
Recent discoveries in the caves suggest that the Europeans didn’t initially bring devastation, but instead engaged in discussions about religion and writing with the local Caribbean people. Research on Mona’s caves, started in 2013, uncovered the richest collection of native iconography found in the Caribbean.
Among the thousands of images, researchers also uncovered something unexpected—Spanish and Latin phrases, names, dates, and Christian symbols, all dating back to the early colonial period. This unique cave environment shifts our understanding of how first contact unfolded between the Old and New Worlds.
1. The Unknown Roman Ruler
Though Gargilius Antiquus may not be unfamiliar to historians, it was unclear which region of the Roman Empire he governed. Recently, underwater archaeologists were conducting an exploration along Israel’s Mediterranean coast when they uncovered a massive rock. The seven lines inscribed on the stone were exactly what historians dream of—an essential piece that enhances the larger narrative.
The inscription identifies Antiquus as the Roman governor of Judea just before the Jewish revolt that took place between AD 132 and 136. This discovery not only restored Antiquus's place in history as the ruler of Judea prior to the famous Bar Kochba revolt, but the artifact also stands as the second inscription from the Roman era that specifically mentions the territory.
Though part of the 1,900-year-old block is missing, it still holds the record as the longest inscription ever discovered off Israel’s coast. Weighing a substantial 600 kilograms (1,320 lb), this fragment may have originally served as the base for a statue.
